Miss Mystery
by Firefly438
Summary: When Tintin crosses paths with a young girl carrying a key to a mysterious treasure, he finds himself wrapped up in a whole mess of treasures, villains and scariest of all - emotions.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for my characters and this story. **

**Miss Mystery**

**Chapter 1**

Brussels, Belgium, was quiet today. The sky was dim and the sun failed to break to the thick layer of clouds, leaving instead a cold chill. The market place was almost empty save for a few hopeful merchants who couldn't afford to relieve themselves of a day's work, and a fog shrouded the surrounding streets in a ghostly blanket. The only thing occupying these otherwise vacant cobblestone roads was the figure of a boy and a dog trotting beside him, the former's strawberry blonde hair stood out starkly in the bleak environment.

Tintin enjoyed days like these, probably one of the very few that did. It gave him all the time, freedom and privacy that he could want without having to be cooped up at home in Marlinspike. While the manner was beautiful, there was only so much that could be done in such a place before things became null and boring, especially for someone who so avidly sought out adventure.

As of late the young journalist had been finding it more and more difficult to relax in this rare span of tranquillity that followed the events of his last adventure, which had found him his first real friend, Captain Archibald Haddock, a hat full of treasure and a map in a globe.

Tintin smiled to himself as he thought back on the events that had got him a real friend. He had had plenty of acquaintances, people who were constantly offering him grateful gifts for his help or just people he met while travelling abroad. He never really had the comfort of friends, people he could really talk to, or who got as excited about his adventures as he himself. It was… different. And welcome. There were certainly things he would need to get used to now that he was living at Marlinspike hall, such as his food constantly going missing from the fridge and the mess that always seemed to lay in the wake of the Captain.

These were only minor pet peeves, and living at the manor had been considerably better than his small apartment, where he was reminded of the death of a man on his doorstep, his place being broken into multiple times and his own kidnapping every he went through the door.

A gust of wind tugged at his coat and he pulled it further around him.

Passing a newspaper stand, he grabbed one of the flapping papers and read through the pages in search of any new developments.

He knelt down so Snowy could stand on his knee and read the newspaper as well, a habit Tintin had somehow gained. Sometimes he wondered if his dog was smarter than some people he knew. Together, they skimmed pages of advertisements and horse racing results, all of which had no appeal to Tintin.

"Well, I'd say nothing is happening at all right now. I need to find another story for this pathetically poor paper. Brussels has been lacking in excitement for a whole month, and I think it's high time we changed that. Isn't that right, Snowy?"

The terrier woofed in reply, his short tail wiggling happily; Tintin patted his head when he finally found an article.

"Oh wait, here's something that we could check out; 'Priceless Heirloom Returns to Family'. Says here that this Corbleau family received some kind of pendant that according to recently deceased Alexander Corbleau will bring the family, now only consisting of a daughter and sister, out of all their debt troubles if they know how to use it. It remains a mystery as to what riches the pendant will bring. Maybe we could get ourselves an interview with the daughter? It says Elaine Corbleau is currently living here in Brussels." Tintin examined the picture of the shining golden pendant, completely worthless according to the caption, as it was made of fake gold.

"Obviously selling it isn't what Mr. Corbleau meant for it to be used for, and it is the key to mysterious riches. I certainly can't stay away from a story like this. Come on then, Snowy. I'm sure Nestor has something warm cooked up for us back home."

In the shadows of a damp alley, a body shifted in an effort to return feeling to numb limbs.

The person was clad in a long, dark jacket that didn't quite fit and hung loosely over the shivering frame, doing an awful job of keeping the cool air out and the warmth in. Around their face was a thick scarf and they wore a black cap, leaving only their eyes visible.

Right now, the eyes were frowning in annoyance. Like many of the merchants on the streets, the person was forced to work today no matter the dreary whether, even though their work involved a more illegal means of getting money.

For the person waiting there was in fact a thief. And this thief was waiting for one particular person, or more, a particular thing said person was supposedly carrying.

After what seemed an eternity to the impatient thief, a carriage at last rode up to a lavish building. It was a rich family from what the thief would gather, and it was clear that this was who they were meant to target. Rubbing their hands together to warm their stiff fingers, they hugged close to the walls, keeping their hands in their pockets.

Two women exited the carriage, stepping lightly on delicate shoes – shoes that probably cost a fortune. No wonder the family was in debt, the thief mused.

Then they saw it; a large purse, no doubt carrying more than enough goods to sustain a destitute pilferer.

So it was with this goal in sight that the thief suddenly sprang into action, clearing the distance in a few strides. The woman didn't even register what had just happened until a couple dumbfounded moments later, when the slight ache of having the large purse ripped out of her hands set in and she whirled around to the figure disappearing around a corner.

The person stopped in the doorway of a closed building to rifle through the bag. Disappointment was slowly setting in when barely anything of value was found, and the bag was almost dropped right there until a glint shone from the bottom. The eyes above the scarf crinkled in a smile as gloved hands lifted out a small, golden medallion. Surely this is what they were sent to obtain!

Happily, the thief set off down the street, but had not even made it halfway when another pair of footsteps could be heard. The only course of action at this point was to not look back and simply try to run faster, certainly not wanting to be caught after all the waiting they had gone through just for that opportune moment.

They grunted at the awkwardness the purse was causing and struggling to keep their balance.

An intersection lay just up ahead, and the thief was intent on losing their pursuers there.

What they were not counting on was the pursuers being ahead of them, and they skidded to a halt when a burly, ominous man materialised on the street, striding forward like some kind of gorilla that had halfway evolved into a person.

From behind came another man, not as big as the first, but big enough to dwarf their victim. This was confusing. These men were definitely not with the woman or her chauffeurs.

The gorilla spoke in a gravelly voice, sounding vaguely Russian, "Alright rat, hand over the bag. We don't want to make this hard."

Panicked, they hugged the purse close to their chest and searched for an escape.

Seeing the figure was not giving in, he growled and lunged forward. At that moment the thief dropped the bag aside and dove to the right. They scrambled upright and raced away, making the mistake of looking back. In an instant they hit something very solid and both went careening into the pavement with cries of surprise, and probably pain.

"What in the… I'm sorry, are you alright?"

There was a moment of silence as Tintin looked into the frightened eyes a young girl, scarf fallen from her face to reveal a terrified expression.

"You!" Both their heads snapped to the angered man who was barreling towards them. Tintin scrambled to his feet and stood defensively, Snowy immediately growling at his side. However, just when the man was almost upon them, his comrade called out.

"Oi, Harry, the rat dropped the bag! Let's take it and get out of here, we've got what we need!"

The man, Harry (sort of ironic, the girl thought), gave one last glare, before turning back and racing off into the fog.

Tintin sighed in relief and turned around. The girl was panting heavily, looking to be in quite a state with her scarf barely hanging off her shoulders and her hat halfway off her head, letting some loose strands of long brown hair blow in the light wind.

Tintin was a bit out of breath himself, still recovering from his rather harsh introduction to the pavement.

"Are you alright?" he tried again.

"I… yes, I-I'm fine. Ah, thank you, for that…"

Tintin smiled. "For what? Acting as a cushion?"

Her eyes widened, "Oh, no, that's not what I meant!"

He only chuckled, "It's alright. I didn't do much, though. I'm pretty sure I'm not the one who scared off that brute." He said, gesturing to his small stature. Just then, he noticed a small object on the ground. He knelt down and picked it up, looking over the gold pendant.

"This pendant; it's the one from the newspaper. Does this belong to you?"

The girl grabbed it back somewhat hastily.

"Yes, it does. Thanks, again Mister…?"

"Tintin," he held out his hand and she gave it a gentle shake. Snowy gave a yip, not wanting to be forgotten. "And this here is Snowy. And, if that pendant belongs to you, then I take it you are Miss Elaine Corbleau?"

"Ummmm…yes, yep. That's me. Elaine… I own this… thing…"

"Well, this is quite my luck. May I see it again?" Tintin asked curiously. The girl hesitantly placed it back in his hands, "I was actually looking to set up an interview with you. But, I suppose now isn't a very good time." He looked down apologetically.

"No, it isn't. I don't really fancy interviews in the middle of a cold, abandoned street."

Just as she said that, another brisk wind blew through and Tintin stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Great snakes! Where are my manners? Would like to accompany me to Marlinspike hall for a hot drink? It's the least I could do."

She opened her mouth to accept, welcoming the thought of a hot tea and warm fire, but remembered that she had more important business to return to.

"Maybe another time. I really must be going," she said as politely as she could, already moving away so she could just get away from this mess of a job. Tintin seemed unfazed.

"If you insist. However, if you ever want to take me up on that offer, our door is always open. Good day to you, miss Elaine."

"Good day to you as well Tintin, Snowy."

The two turned to go their own ways. Tintin towards Marlinspike Hall, and 'Elaine' to her own home.

What neither of them remembered as they continued on their separate ways was the small pendant still resting in Tintin's pocket.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

There was nothing out of the ordinary about 26 Labrador Road. It was a simple apartment complex, one like many of the others that lined the street. It was a quaint place, with its old architecture and healthy green vines climbing the chipped stone. And if one went around to the back, they would find an equally quaint sitting area with a small bench and fountain, although it had long since dried out.

However, if one was quite observant, they would likely notice a small trail leading out from underneath the building, straight into the cellar, littered with countless footprints.

A makeshift door was moved to the side and a body slipped in silently, moving it back into place where it was hidden by bushes.

"Cora? Is that you?"

Cora removed her hat and scarf, and then shrugged off the large jacket, which had done an effective job of hiding the tiny, thin body that it had been warming.

"It's me, Clarence," she said, wandering over to where her brother sat by a fire, cooking… something. Cora had learned it was wise not to ask what she was eating when her brother cooked. I never tasted quite as good afterwards.

She sat herself down beside him and proceeded to warm her hands.

"Ugh. You know, I think I can go a little while without food. I think our next investment should be clothing."

"You don't like my jacket?"

"It's a lovely jacket. It's just not practical."

He sighed, "I'm sorry Cora, but for us food outweighs fashion. Now, have some soup. It's quite good this time if I do say so myself." He reached over to pass her a bowl, and the fire illuminated his brown eyes that looked out from underneath low brows that seemed to always be set in an eternal frown.

"So," he leaned on his clasped hands, "Was she there?"

"That rich lady? I kind of figured that's who you wanted me to go after. After all, there wasn't anyone else outside on this kind of day." Tintin's face flashed through her mind, but she decided it was best not to tell her brother about her misadventure.

"Aye, that's the one. Good for you, sis. It's good to know I have someone to count on."

"No problem, although there was practically nothing in that purse of hers except for some coin thing."

Clarence's eyes suddenly sparked with interest, "So she was carrying it on her. Rather foolish. Come, let me see it."

Cora turned to grab her/her brother's jacket and reached into the pocket, "Huh. I could swear I put it in this pocket." She turned it over and searched the other one, then went back to the first.

She looked up in alarm, "I know it was here. I grabbed it and put it in this pocket and then-"she gasped, "Tintin!"

"Tintin? You mean that reporter kid? What about him?"

"I ran into some… trouble."

He groaned, "Cora!"

"I'm sorry! I accidentally bumped into him and there was this gorilla man and then there was his dog and he kept asking questions and then my name was Elaine and he thought I was someone else and I got panicky and he offered me tea and then he wanted to see the medallion and I let him and then he left and now I have to go get it back, and, oh, please don't be angry Clarence!"

He was standing now, running his hands through his hair.

"We'll never see it again if Tintin has hold of it. He'll return it to that Corbleau woman and we'll have lost out chance forever." Suddenly he was looming over her, the flames illuminating his scowling face in a frightening way. "You just lost us our chance at getting back to dad. Are you happy? Do you enjoy living underneath a building, or wearing clothes that don't fit, or eating the same crap every day? I hope you do, because now that's what we'll be stuck with forever!"

Cora had pressed herself against the dirt wall, managing to look even smaller than she already was.

"I'll get it back, I promise! He said something about a Marlinspike Hall. That's where he lives. I'll go right now!"

He had moved to the other side of the room now, his back facing her as he breathed heavily.

Cora shivered, hoping that his temper had cooled down. Without another word to each other, she put her jacket and scarf back on and crawled out back into the bitter air. With a shiver that wasn't entirely from the cold, she started off to where she had met Tintin.

She was standing at the exact spot now, and was trying to remember which way Tintin had gone when a distant bark caught her attention. She listened, and almost dismissed it until she heard it again. Staring through the fog, she made out a short white blob moving towards her, yapping frantically.

"Snowy? Is that you?"

She leaned over and put her hands on her thighs as the terrier danced at her feet.

"What is it, boy?"

He responded by nipping at her pant leg, then racing off.

"Hey!"

He repeated it once more before she gave in and followed after the dog, breaking into a jog as he pulled further and further away.

When she finally caught up, Snowy was whimpering and looking towards something. She followed his gaze and saw a red vehicle riding the curb in what looked to be an awful parking job. Then she noticed Mr. Gorilla man and the other guy from earlier coming out of the alley, carrying something - something with a tuft of ginger hair.

"Wait a second. Tintin?" She immediately regretted her big mouth when the two men looked up. She turned to run but before she could even take one step she heard a dull thud, and next thing she knew she was falling to the ground, blackness taking over her vision.

**Author's Note: Thanks for all the kind words :D Also, I'll be trying to get as much of this story done and written before starts so you don't have to wait an eternity between updates. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: School again. That is all I have to say on that matter -.-**

**But, I went to the library and cleared the shelves of Tintin comics, and I must say I'm enjoying them all too much! I added some Easter eggs to the story, brownie points if you can catch them ;) **

**Chapter 3**

The first sensation Tintin had when he finally came to was the incredible pain in the back of his head, a pain very familiar to him. He recognized it as the 'you've-just-been-kidnapped-again' pain.

_Honestly, I feel like I should just start wearing a helmet wherever I go, _he thought exasperatedly.

Tintin sat himself in a more comfortable position, then tested the ropes that bound his hands and feet. They were tight, and his captors obviously knew how to tie a good knot.

Next, he took in his surroundings.

It was a toolshed, although it had been cleaned of any tools. A work table was in one corner of the room, from which a lamp served as the main light source in the room, dimly illuminating the thick clouds of dust.

While the room was empty, it wasn't necessarily clean. Grime covered almost everything, and where tools had recently been removed there was a clean spot in the shape of said tool, giving perspective to just how dirty the shed was.

Tintin glanced over to his right, hoping to find something of use that could get him out of this mess. There were some pots in a corner, a broken chair, one of those creepy Fetish replicas, and what looked like a sack of potatoes in the dark. Great, a lot of use that all would be. Maybe if his captors invited him to eat potatoes while conversing about the details of Fetish sculpting, though he highly doubted that scenario would occur.

Just then, he heard a soft moan, and he was suddenly alert. There was shuffle coming from right side of the room, in the direction of the sack, which to Tintin's surprise was moving.

"Hello? That's strange… Did they drug me as well?"

Then the sack rolled over into the light, and he realized that it was a girl, not a potato sack as the shadows had tricked him into seeing. He found himself quickly double checking the rest of the items, just to make sure he hadn't mistaken the rest of the objects for something real too.

The girl's eyes opened and Tintin connected a name to the face.

"Elaine?"

"Owww…Who's Elaine?" she mumbled.

Poor girl, she probably wasn't used to being knocked out. Though, he supposed few people had enough experiences with comatose to be able to build up resilience like he had.

"Elaine, wake up!"

"Tintin? Is that you?"

"Yes, it's me. How on Earth did you get here?"

She narrowed her eyes, apparently getting over her grogginess.

"Well see I just tied myself up, knocked myself out and wandered out to this abandoned shed so I could have a nice nap. How on Earth do you think I got here?"

"I didn't mean- Oh, never mind. Why were you kidnapped?"

She was sitting herself up now as well, proceeding to do what he had done just a couple minutes ago; taking in her location with large, slightly fearful brown eyes.

"Probably same reason you were kidnapped. So really, I should be asking you that."

"Well, I can't think of any reason at the moment. I don't recall angering anyone in the past few days. Unless you count that fiasco with that one pet shop owner, but that was entirely an accident and it was mostly his fault anyways. Really, he should've taught that parrot of his some manners."

"Do I want to know?"

"What? Oh, no, I'm certain he's not our kidnapper, which means I am as clueless as you at the moment."

The door handle wiggled and both persons jumped. The wooden door swung open and the noonday sun glared into the room.

When his eyes readjusted, he was met with the unpleasant sight of Allan, Captain Haddock's treacherous First Mate.

"Hello, Mr. Tin…Tin. Fancy meeting you again," he said with a sneer.

"You? But then that means…" Before he could finish, Sakharine entered, looking a little worse for wear then the last time they had met. His beard was longer and more unruly, and his red coat was replaced with an old brown one.

"Hello again, Tintin. I can't help but notice the irony of this situation. Wasn't just a year ago we were in the same predicament? You getting kidnapped, with possession of something I want. Hopefully we won't encounter the same _difficulty _as last time."

Cora looked between the tall man and the boy next to her. "Do you know him?"

"Indeed. I got him arrested."

"Oh. I imagine that's the reason for our kidnapping then?"

Sakharine closed the door behind him and approached them, "Yes, that is partly the reason. I won't deny that I'll quite enjoy getting my revenge on you, Tintin."

Tintin cocked an eyebrow, "You've really got a thing for revenge, don't you?"

Sakharine's cane flew up in one swift movement, so it was lifting Tintin's chin into the air, and he growled, "Because of you, I had to spend every penny I had on bail! You've rid me of my riches and my social stature, while you flaunt the treasure of the Unicorn, treasure that should be mine as of this moment! Trust me when I say that you and your girlfriend are in trouble now, and this time there's no escape."

Tintin scowled, "She has nothing to do with this. Let her go."

"Good try, but my men saw you with her when they were searching for the medallion. So, where is it?"

"I don't have the medallion."

"I recall you saying something similar on the KARABOUDJAN. If you're going to be as incompliant as you were last time, then we'll just have to switch tactics," he said as slid his blade out of the cane with a metallic hiss.

"No!"

All eyes looked to Cora, who had been mainly forgotten during the entire encounter.

Sakharine moved the sword point to focus on her instead, "And you're Miss Corbleau I presume. Funny, you're younger than I'd expected. Tell me girl, do you know where the medallion is?"

Cora almost blurted out her knowledge, but stopped herself at the last second.

"Well, I suppose if neither of you want to talk, then I'll just have to leave you with my men here."

Cora's face flashed with panic and without thought she yelled out, "Tintin's coat pocket!"

Tintin stared at her in confusion, "How could it be in my pocket?"

"You forgot to give it back when we parted ways. I went back to find you, but then Snowy found me and led me to you, but by that time you were already knocked out, and then I was knocked out as well, and so that's why I'm here. I'm afraid I'm the reason we're in this mess."

Allan reached into Tintin's pocket, and when he pulled it back out it was clasping the gold pendant.

"I've got it Mr. Sakharine."

Sakharine took it, chuckling darkly, "Perfect. Alright Allan, I'll leave you to our young reporter. The girl can go. After all, she was quite helpful towards our cause."

Cora hung her head shamefully, cursing under her breath for getting Tintin into such trouble. When she looked up, her face was resolute. "I'll be staying, thank you."

Sakharine paused halfway out the door, "You're quite the brave one, aren't you? I'll give you a moment to reconsider. After that, there's no getting out."

"I don't need a moment. If Tintin stays, I stay."

Tintin gaped, "Elaine, what are you doing? Go, while the door's open! I'll be fine, I can handle myself."

"I can handle myself too. I'm staying here. It's not fair that I get to go free when it's my fault we're here."

"Very well then. Allan, wait here for me while I put this away."

And with that, the door closed, and the two were left at the mercy of a very sinister looking Allan.

.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Yay! Update! For some reason this chapter was really difficult. I'm trying to get them longer, and I think I succeeded. Review and tell me what you think :)**

**Chapter 4**

It would be a lie on Cora's part if she said she wasn't regretting the decision to stay. The minutes passed on agonizingly slow and she wished fervently that Tintin might think of someway to escape. From what she was picking up, he'd been in this position quite a few times before, and she hadn't decided whether or not she should be comforted by that.

Her heartbeat was going at such a frantic pace that she imagined it filled the whole room, announcing to everyone how frightened she really was. She tested her ropes for the umpteenth time, but as expected, they had no give.

However much she wanted to walk out of that room though, she knew that she had done the right thing by staying. She wouldn't be able to live with the guilt of knowing she left an innocent person to face the consequences of her actions.

Still, it would've been the slightest bit more pleasant if Allan was not reclining against the doorway examining a very large knife.

"Tintin," Cora whispered, "Please tell me you have some kind of plan."

Tintin was looking around the room while he responded, "Not presently. It's rather inconsiderate of them not to anything for me to use. If I were to kidnap someone, I'd at least give them a sporting chance."

"Well, not to cause alarm, but I do believe we're running out of time. I kind of went into this hoping you'd get me out."

Allan's voice boomed across the room, "Shut it you two, or I'll use you as target practise."

Cora felt a shiver go down her spine, and she exchange a worried glance with Tintin.

_Think of something, _she mouthed.

His blue eyes shifted across the room, then widened as they came to rest on something.

"What is it?"

"Don't make me tell you again," Allan growled, now spinning the knife.

Tintin ended up trying to get his message across with multiple head nods and eye gestures. Cora finally saw what he was motioning to; a single hammer, hidden just behind the table leg, forgotten in the shadows.

_Huh. That's incredibly convenient. What's inconvenient is the inability to reach it, _thought Cora.

_I need to get over there, _she tried mouthing again. Tintin only tilted his head in confusion.

_What? _He mouthed back.

_I need to get over there, distract him, _she tried one more time, accentuating each word as much as possible.

He mouthed something back, but now she was the one to be confused, and for about a minute they both sat there mouthing incoherent sentences to each other, probably looking like gaping fish. Cora rolled her eyes. It would appear she would just have to wing it and hope his went with it.

Cora repeated the head nods Tintin was doing earlier, nodding towards Allan. Thankfully, he appeared to understand.

Carefully, she scooted to the opposite side of Tintin and continued to shuffle across the room. She only made it about a meter though before Allan turned his attention back to them. He only glanced for a second before going back to his knife. Cora sighed, glad he hadn't noticed her change of position.

Unfortunately, she realized how difficult it would be to get to the hammer without being caught. She bit her lip and looked at Tintin, whose brow was furrowed.

It was silent in the room, and Cora was near giving up, when she heard the most out of place sound of Tintin's whistling.

She wasn't sure what tune it was, but she was certain that if was annoying Allan as much as she figured it would, Tintin would soon become a punching bag.

The older man's eyes flashed at the sound, and he pushed off the wall, setting the knife on the table where the hammer was.

"Alright Brat, we'll see how well you whistle once I've knocked a few teeth out."

Cora shuffled frantically, watching Allan approach a still whistling Tintin out of the corner of her eye.

Allan's first punch sailed through air as Tintin simply moved his head to the side, his tune ending almost comically with a falling note.

She was beside the hammer now, and all she needed to do was get her hands out in front of her. Which was a problem, since she was not the most flexible person. It seemed no matter how far she stretched her arms would not reach around. There was a grunt of pain, and Cora turned just in time to see Tintin's head snapped to the side, with a giant red fist mark already starting to glow on his skin. Allan smiled cruelly, but neither he nor Cora expected the boy to roll over backwards, bring his hands out in front of him at some point (making Cora huff in disbelief as she was struggling to do just that), and swing his tied hands at Allan, just barely clipping his chin due to the height difference.

Cora brought herself back to her current task, ignoring the sounds of the fight best she could. She was trying to reach for the hammer with her hands tied behind her, when she had an epiphany. There was a knife sitting right above.

Cora would have hit herself in the forehead for being so daft if it weren't for the ropes. She wriggled from her knees to her feet, standing unsteadily on her bound legs. She grabbed the knife and awkwardly turned it so she was slicing through the ropes. Soon her hands were free, and she quickly worked on her feet, hearing a crash and something breaking as the other two scuffled.

Unconstrained of the ropes she turned towards the males with the knife, then quickly thought better of it and switched her knife out for the hammer.

Allan was just about to lay another blow when his knee buckled under him and he cried out, crumpling to the ground. Tintin took advantage of the moment and brought his fists down on the back of his head, knocking him out cold.

"Well done," Tintin smiled at Cora, who jumped over the body to cut Tintin's hands free. She ran over to the door while he finished with the rest of his ropes.

"There's no time to tie him up. Let's go, Elaine."

The duo sprinted across the yard, keeping to the shrubbery surrounding the property.

"Uh, Tintin. The back gate is that way. Shouldn't be headed there instead of the house? You know, away from the building that's full of people who want to kill us?"

Tintin kept going, "I need to see what Sakharine's done with the medallion. Maybe I can get it back."

"You can't be serious. You're willing to risk your life for a little gold trinket?"

Tintin stopped to face her, "Yes, yes I am. If Sakharine wants it so bad then it must be of great value. Besides, I do it all the time, risk my life. It's part of the job."

Cora stared at him for a second as he ran ahead.

"Remind me never to become a journalist," she muttered half to herself, then louder, "Tintin!"

He stopped a second time.

"Yes?"

"Why don't we just go back? Surely it can't be that important. We'll just go out the back way, think of a plan and come back later." Cora knew she wouldn't follow through on the last part. She'd cleared her conscience by staying with Tintin. Now it didn't matter whether she went with him or not. She could run home right now, erase this whole escapade out of her mind and let Tintin do what he liked.

He was staring at her, eyeing her as if he was picking out every hidden meaning her words or body language could have. Then, just like that, he seemed to know exactly what she was thinking, "I understand. You don't have to come, I can handle this. If anything, it'll give you more time to get away."

That's it. He had guessed she was scared, but had the decency not to say it to her face. Cora smiled half-heartedly and offered a hand, "I guess we part ways then."

Tintin took the hand and gave it a shake, "I guess we do. Pleasure escaping certain death with you, Miss Elaine."

"Likewise, Mr. Tintin."

And then he was off again, and Cora turned to head back to the gate, where she would follow the road, hitchhike and maybe get a ride back into town, where she could go home to her brother and say that it'd been lost. He'd be furious, but it would pass, and things would go on as normal.

Normal. Normal being eating the same meal every day, if they were even able to get one. Home being a hole underneath an apartment, with only her brother. Not that she minded, he'd practically raised her. But she had a father somewhere, she knew that. And Clarence had mentioned that the medallion would be their ticket back to their father.

And there was Tintin. It seemed no matter what she did, she felt guilty. This would be her second chance to abandon him while he got himself into who knows what kind of trouble.

Cora exhaled heavily, "That's my answer then."

She turned back the way she came. She saw Tintin's unmistakable hair sneaking behind a broken down vehicle, and made her way quickly to the spot, wondering the whole time what on Earth she was doing.

Tintin almost completely gave away his location when an unknown hand tapped his shoulder, causing him to leap quite the incredible distance.

When he saw who it was, he chuckled quietly, calming his breathing.

"Great snakes, Elaine. May I suggest you be a little less sneaky next time?"

Cora laughed under her breath, "Sorry Tintin. I was just following your lead, although I don't think your little fright attack was exactly stealthy."

"Ha, I'd like to see how you'd react under the same circumstances."

"I certainly know it wouldn't involve looking like I'd just had a heart attack."

"You didn't scare me that bad. I was just… mildly startled."

"Oh yes, mildly startled. Whatever makes you feel better about getting scared by a girl," Cora smirked as Tintin raised his hand in defeat.

"Alright, alright, I'd appreciate keeping what little dignity I have left intact. Now, see that window?" He was pointing to a window surrounding by bushes. Inside, silhouettes were just visible as they walked about inside the house.

"Yes, I see it."

"I believe that's the room Sakharine is in right now. If we can spy on them, we might find out where he hid it."

They made a mad dash to the house, practically diving into the dirt beneath the window. It was open just a crack, and they crouched beside it, just barely peeking their heads above the sill to see the room's occupants.

It appeared to be the guest room. The walls presented incredibly flowery wallpaper, and it looked as if whoever had last owned the home had done their best to cover every surface with a vase or pot of some sort, all filled with long dead flowers. Tintin recognized a couple more fetishes placed randomly throughout the room, and tried not to look at their creepy faces.

In the middle of the room was Sakharine, who seemed much too dark to be in such a vibrant room. Tintin paid little attention to the conversation going on inside. He was intent on finding the medallion. It wasn't long before he saw it, dropped on an old dresser.

He poked Cora, who saw it as well.

"How do we get it out? Sakharine wouldn't leave it unguarded."

"No he wouldn't. We'll need to cause a distraction. Do you still have the hammer?"

"I left it back at the shed."

"Darn. I suppose- Wait, I think Sakharine is leaving," he leaned his ear close.

"-Kept Allan waiting long enough. Better check that he hasn't already beaten them to a pulp. Tom, come with me. Harry, guard the room."

Cora gasped, "The Gorilla!"

"What?"

"Ah, nothing, never mind."

A huge, furry man walked into the doorway, stepping aside to let Sakharine and his lackey pass.

"Excellent. My plan should work out much better now."

"Great. Mind sharing exactly what the plan is?"

They dropped to a squat below the bushes.

"It's quite simple, really. One of us runs to the other side of the house, cause some kind of commotion leading the guard away from the door, and while they do that, the other will sneak in through this window, grab the pendant, and then after that, the best course of action would probably be to run like there's no tomorrow."

"Wonderful. I'll cause the distraction."

Tintin hesitated, "Are you sure? It'd be safer to be the one going in."

"I'm small and fast. I can do it. You just make sure that the Gorilla is following me before going in. I have a feeling he'd pose a fair bit more challenge than Allan."

"Ok, go on and good luck. We'll rendezvous at the back gate if circumstances allow."

With that Cora set off, and Tintin was left in silence, holding his breath as he waited for whatever she would do as a distraction.

A distant smash signalled the beginning of Cora's part of the plan. Tintin watched as the Gorilla, as Cora referred to him, lumbered away from the door. The second he was out of sight, he pried the window open the rest of the way and slipped in.

He strode straight to the dresser and grasped the piece of metal, securing it in his pocket. He took a step to the door, but too late looked up and realized a figure was taking up the doorway.

Sakharine.

"Not part of the plan," Tintin muttered, backing away while scanning the room for anything that could be used as a weapon.

"You are quite the escape artist," Sakharine commented as if he were holding a normal conversation, "I admit I'm impressed. Unfortunately for you, it's not helped your cause in the least." Sakharine walked forward, his sword steady and pointed at Tintin.

A door slam startled both of them, and footsteps thudded quickly through the house until Cora flew around the corner, holding one hand on the door frame while she panted, the other hand holding a fetish statue.

The scene before her set in, and her face turned to one of surprise, and without second thought she threw the statue at Sakharine, catching him fully in the chest and causing him to drop his sword.

Tintin dashed around him and they raced out of the house and across the yard, angry voices shouting behind them.

They made it to the back gate and jumped it, scrambling into the ditch the lined the back road.

"Now what?" Cora said, still breathing heavily, "They'll find us here in no time."

Tintin opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by a shrill whinny. He stood up, and Cora followed suite.

In the field beside them were two horses grazing, and Tintin had a look on his face that he got when he had an idea.

"Cora, do you know how to ride?"

Cora gawked at the animals, "What, you mean ride a horse? I haven't the faintest clue."

Tintin crossed his arms and tapped his chin with one finger.

"That is problem, but one that can easily be fixed. Come on."

Tintin managed to grab a horse, a dark gray stallion, and after some rushed instructions to Cora, they both were on the steed. Tintin looped the halter lead around to imitate reins.

"Just hold onto my waist, tightly mind you so you don't fall off."

Cora tentatively reached her arms around Tintin, and she was glad she was sitting behind him so he couldn't see her light blush.

The voices were getting much closer, and Tintin wasted no time in getting the horse into a gallop. Cora was not ready for him to take off with such a start, and her arms tensed around Tintin, practically crushing the air out of him.

The horse evened out it's pace, and after a few minutes of riding Tintin tapped her hands, which were still firmly grasping his torso.

"Elaine, I don't mean to sound rude, but I would appreciate the ability breathe."

Cora loosened her grip, and was again grateful that he could not see her red cheeks, "Sorry!"

Tintin laughed good naturedly, "It's ok. You're doing good for never being on a horse before."

"I'm not doing anything but sitting like a sack of potatoes. You're the one doing the riding," she pointed out.

"True, but you haven't fallen off yet. That has to count for something."

"Yes, it means that I've successfully cut off all your air from your lungs."

"It's alright, I don't mind."

"Um…"

Tintin caught himself a moment too late, "No, no, I don't mean like that, I mean, um… never mind. Now, which way to Marlinspike Hall?" Tintin pondered out loud, hoping to escape whatever awkward moment that had just passed.

"Elaine-"

"Cora, if you please."

"I beg your pardon?"

Cora hoped this didn't ruin anything, but she wasn't sure she could put up with being called Elaine one more time, "Elaine was my… mother's name. I prefer to be called by my middle name, Coraline. But, just Cora will do."

"Cora. I think I like that better. It suits you."

"I agree. Much better than Elaine, anyway."

There was a silence, filled only by the sound of birds singing their songs in the late afternoon glow, and the lazy clop of horse hooves. And for the time being, they were ok with that.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

It was about an hour's ride, and Cora was close to falling asleep to the rhythmic sway of the horse's gait and Tintin's warm body to lean on. When they arrived, it was almost night, the sun's last rays touching the bottoms of the distant wisps of cloud. Tintin reached he hand around and tapped her leg to get her attention, and she sat up a little too quickly, cracking her stiff back in multiple places.

She winced at the sound, "Are we here?"

"Marlinspike Hall, just up ahead."

The building was impressive, with vines overtaking portions of the house while the yard was abundant in trees and an overgrown garden. Inside the manor, all windows were dark save for one in the lower left corner.

They rode up to an iron gate, and Tintin dismounted gracefully so he could unlock it and lead the horse through. At the steps leading to the front door, Cora felt her heart start to speed up. She was being welcomed into this grand home.

"Would you like some help getting down?"

"No thanks, I'm sure I'll be fine," Cora smiled, not wanting to seem completely helpless. So, untangling her hands from the stallion's mane (which she hadn't noticed she had done in the first place), she attempted to slide off with the same grace as Tintin had. And promptly fell off.

He was just rushing to her side but she waved him off, pushing to her feet.

"I'm ok, I just slipped… quickly… to the ground…"

She went to take a step but again felt her legs practically buckle beneath her in pain. This time Tintin was there ready to catch her arms, and stabled her as she caught her breath.

"Good Lord, I can't feel my legs!"

"Ah, yes. I probably should've warned you of that. Infrequent riding escapades generally result in saddle sores."

"Yes, thank you for mentioning that now. I hadn't noticed."

"Sarcasm does not become you," he said, chuckling nonetheless.

"Pointing out the obvious doesn't become you either."

"Touché. Think you can walk now?"

"Normally? No. However, I do believe I can waddle my way to the door."

Cora followed behind Tintin as he rapped on the regal wooden entry, massaging her thighs while they waited for someone to answer.

It didn't take long before a hurried pair of feet and loud exclamations could be heard, and the door was swung open by a tall, heavily built bearded man wearing a sailor's cap and pajamas.

"Tintin! Thundering Typhoons, I thought you'd been kidnapped!"

"About that-"

The man clapped his hands on Tintin's shoulders and practically shoved him into the house, then noticed Cora standing quietly.

"Hello! A girl! Tintin, you didn't tell me you'd found yourself a lass!"

"I didn't-"

"Come inside, let's get ourselves some whiskey and introductions! You've had Nestor and I worried out of our minds I hope you know." A stoic man Cora assumed to be Nestor stood completely expressionless inside.

"Captain, I-"

"Nestor! Get us some drinks, eh?"

They had been somewhat forcefully walked into the living area and Tintin removed the Captain's arms from his shoulders.

"Captain! Firstly, you don't need any whiskey at this time of night. Secondly, I have, in fact, been recently kidnapped, no I have not been out fraternizing with a girl, and lastly, Captain Archibald Haddock, I would like you to meet Miss Elaine Cora Corbleau. Cora, Captain Haddock."

Cora stuck her hand out and the Captain gave it a firm shake. "Cora will be fine. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise. And seeing as whiskey is currently unavailable," the Captain shot an annoyed glance at Tintin, "Can I get you some tea?"

"Tea would be wonderful."

"Excellent. Nestor! Scratch the whiskey, bring some tea! Alright, let's get down to business. Sit down and start talking."

Tintin sat in a plush red chair, and Cora settled herself into the couch which sank considerably so she felt like she was in a nest.

Nestor arrived with a tray, and performed quite an amazing balancing feat as he was almost knocked over by a hyper Snowy charging towards Tintin to cover him in gleeful licks.

Tintin laughed and held the small dog close, petting him until he quit wriggling and sat contentedly on his lap.

Cora grabbed a cup of tea from the silver tray, and Tintin began retelling their whole kidnapping. A warm fire crackled happily and Cora observed the house, zoning out from Tintin's story. Slowly she felt herself once again ready to succumb to sleep as the tea and comfort of the couch did their work.

She didn't know how much time had passed before a voice was bringing her back to the land of the living.

"Cora? Would you like to head for bed? I can show you to one of spare bedrooms."

Cora nodded and willed herself to stand. "Yes please."

They began to leave when Tintin snapped. "Before I forget! Nestor, there's a borrowed horse outside, if you could put it in the stables for tonight I would greatly appreciate it."

"Borrowed, sir?" He asked, raising one eyebrow half a millimetre.

"Without permission. The circumstances didn't quite allow a formal deal with the owner. I'll make sure it's returned first thing in the morning. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, sir."

She followed Tintin through the dark hallways until they reached a room with a small bed that looked like it hadn't been slept in for a very long time, an old dresser with various knick knacks and a bookshelf with a chair by a window.

Cora could have cared less about the rest of the furniture though. At the moment she was focused more on the bed, which looked as if it was just begging to be slept in.

"There should be some clothes for tonight in the dresser, although they're probably going to be a little big."

Cora pulled open the drawer and sure enough there were folded blue pajamas.

She pulled them out and held the shirt up to her neck to check the size. It was too big, but it didn't matter much.

"Thank you Tintin."

"You're welcome."

"Really, thanks for everything. I'd probably be the one locked in that shed right now if you hadn't been on the street this morning. That was very brave."

Tintin grinned. "I'm pretty sure luck had more to do with it. I likely wasn't very imposing to gorilla man. Thanks all the same though."

"Well then you're a lucky charm aren't you, red-head?"

"Strawberry blonde."

"Still reminds me of a leprechaun."

"I'm not sure whether I should take your statement as a complement or an insult."

"A compliment. I like leprechauns."

They both chortled quietly, and then it was silent.

"I should head to bed. Goodnight, Cora."

"Goodnight, Tintin."

With that he turned away and went back down the hallway. A small smile tugged at Cora's lips as she watched him a moment longer before pulling the door shut. She changed into the PJ's and leapt into bed, pulling the covers up to her chin and relishing the feeling of sleeping in an actual bed, allowing herself a moment to forget the unfortunate events of the day and focus on what tomorrow would bring.

Tomorrow brought the sun glaring through her window at 6 in the morning, in all its shining wonder, and Cora rolled to the side with a groan.

She tried going back to sleep, but the morning was unrelenting and she gave up, flinging the covers back and doing her best to fix her wild brown hair.

She tiptoed through the house, flinching every time the old wooden floor creaked. After a couple wrong turns, she made it to the kitchen, where a light was already on.

She peeked in, but saw no one was in there. She shrugged, assuming the light had simply been left on last night, and opened the fridge door in hopes of some light breakfast. She found some milk and pulled it out, then moved to the cupboards in search of a glass.

"Second cupboard to the right."

Cora jumped, nearly spilling her milk. She spun around and saw Tintin, sipping idly from a mug with one hand and holding the paper in another.

"Where did you come from?"

He smirked. "I'm sorry, did I scare you?"

"No. I was mildly startled. Might I suggest you be less sneaky?" She said, mimicking him from yesterday.

"Actually I wasn't being sneaky at all. I've been here the whole time, you just failed to notice."

"How on earth could a fail to notice you're red hair sitting there?"

"Again with the hair? I'm starting to think you're tad bit jealous."

"Jealous? Me? Why would I be jealous when I have this lovely… rat's nest," she ended, painfully tugging a knot from her hair.

"If you want you can have a shower. There's one across from your room. Nestor can wash your clothes too."

She stood for a moment looking at the milk, trying to decide between the importance of hunger or hygiene, then made her choice. She placed the milk back in the fridge and made her way to the bathroom.

She removed her clothes and left them outside the door for Nestor, then took a long, much needed hot shower.

When she stepped out again, she imagined she was glowing after removing so much dirt and grime that had been accumulated in that awful shed. She reached for a towel, dried herself off, and went for her clothes.

Which were currently being washed.

"Didn't think that one through," she muttered to herself.

With a sigh she wrapped the towel more securely around herself and left the bathroom.

She stood around the corner to the living room, mentally preparing herself for what was bound to be an awkward encounter.

Tintin was sitting in the large red chair, his eyebrows furrowed intently as he read a book.

Cora cleared her throat and he looked up, eyebrows shooting straight up when the sight in front of him registered.

"Hi," she said, feeling a blush creeping on to her cheeks. "I, uh, I need some clothes. Nestor is washing mine right now."

"Uh, yes, um, right. I'll just... go. I'll be right back just, just stay there. Or come with me. That would make more sense."

He walked swiftly to his room and she listened as he rummaged through some drawers, finally tossing an outfit onto the bed.

"There you are, that'll do until your clothes are ready. I'll leave you then," and he left the room.

Cora quickly pulled on the clothes he had picked out and went back to the living room wearing a white button up shirt, a vest and a pair of pants tucked into her boots.

She returned once again to the living room, to find Tintin pulling on his coat.

"Are we going somewhere?"

"To the library, to do some research. I hope you don't mind going out in my clothes."

"Of course not. Just let me get my jacket and I'll be right with you."

She pulled the black trench coat out of the closet and slipped into it, and together they walked out the door, Snowy bounding happily around their feet.

Cora had expected Tintin to go in the direction of the car, but instead he kept walking.

"We're not taking a vehicle?"

"I usually walk. Snowy needs it. However, if you don't want to walk, I believe we still have that horse here."

"No no, I'm fine with walking."

"To the library then. Hopefully we'll find some information on that medallion, and the treasure that it unlocks."

"That reminds me, I never did get the story on you and Sakharine. How do you know him?"

"That's a long story. And seeing as how we have a long walk to town ahead of us, I'll indulge you. See, it began a couple months ago when I was at the market, and I saw this model ship…"

**Author's Note: Captain Haddock and Nestor! Sorry they make such a small appearance. I tried to keep them as in character as possible. **

**Reviews would be lovely :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"It was believed to be able to simply look at a person and tell if they were guilty or not, so in front of a Japanese court, the accused person would be brought forth before the Kirin, and if the Kirin saw he was guilty he would charge and run him through with his horn."

"How violent! The Japanese Unicorn is very different from the European. Funny how diverse even legends are in different cultures."

Cora had been listening in rapt attention to Tintin's grand adventures, and at some point the conversation had turned to mythical creatures. His knowledge of various cultures and countries was astounding. And, though she would never admit it to anyone, it gave her a chance to gaze at his face, which she couldn't help but notice was, in truth, very handsome.

As for Tintin, he was enjoying telling Cora about his travels. She was a wonderful listener, not interrupting him once and showing genuine interest in what he had to say. She had never been far from Belgium and his stories of distant lands and ancient cities and gunslingers and Indians and pirates sounded like something out of a Fairy tale, too out-of-worldly to be real.

The fair morning brought out people from their homes, eager to enjoy the beautiful day as much as they could. Bustling streets were filled with the sounds bartering and clanging pots and dogs barking (mostly belonging to Snowy) and the scent of baking wafted through the air.

Tintin breathed deep the aroma and was reminded of something.

"You didn't have breakfast, did you?"

Cora frowned. "No, I didn't. That's too bad, I'll guess I'll just have to make something up when we get back."

Tintin didn't like the idea of making her sit in a library with a grumbling stomach while he read books and was quick to make an offer. "Why don't we stop at the Café on the way to library? I'll get you something there."

"Oh, I couldn't. You've already given me so much, and I'm not that hungry really."

"It's not a problem. Come on, they make an amazing Tompouce," he said with a smile and an almost sing song voice, determined to tempt her.

She brought one hand to her chin and pretended to think about it.

"Mmm. Well, I couldn't possibly turn down a free Tompouce" -she bit her lip at the irony of that, since she had stolen many a Tompouce- "I think I'll take you up on your offer."

They arrived at the Café where the delicious aroma originated from and Tintin left to order their food.

A lively tune was being played by a small band set up in the outdoor Café area, and Cora's foot tapped subconsciously to the beat. Similarly, a smile crept onto her face without her really knowing it. The violinist was very good, and Cora would've loved to join in the music. Instead, she searched for Tintin, who was just returning to the table with- as promised- a Tompouce, along with two cups of tea.

"Thank you Tintin!" She took her pastry from his hands and began to eat as gracefully as possible. The Tompouce proved too much though, and she ended up getting a fair amount of icing on her fingers.

She had practically inhaled the Tompouce, to which Tintin raised an eyebrow. She caught his look and rolled her eyes.

"What was that about not really being hungry?"

She didn't even bother being sarcastic. "Ok, I was hungry. You were right, they do make an amazing Tompouce," she said, licking her fingers, then seeing Snowy underneath the table looking staring up with a positively pathetic expression. She gave in and grabbed the crumbs from the napkin for him to eat.

"Glad you enjoyed it. Did you see that violinist?"

He gestured with his tea towards the musician Cora had seen earlier.

"I did. He's very good, although he's using too much wrist. He should work on that."

Tintin's eyes sparked with interest. "You know how to play?"

She blushed slightly, "I've played for a long time. Not as much anymore, I'm afraid I'd be quite rusty now."

"They look as if they'll be taking a break soon. Why don't you ask him if you can borrow his violin?"

"I couldn't!"

"Why not?"

"I don't know him at all."

"If nobody ever bothered to talk to someone just because they didn't know them, we'd all be very lonely and friendless people. Go on and ask."

"Nope."

"Yes."

"No way."

"I'll go with you."

She threw her hands up in defeat. "Gosh, you're persistent!"

"Is that a yes?" He smiled triumphantly.

"As good as you're going to get. Alright, let's get this over with."

They strode across to the men, who were sitting together and drinking champagne.

Cora was biting her lip again, butterflies doing flips in her stomach.

"Excuse me?" Tintin said, walking confidently up to them, while Cora trailed behind.

"Oh hello. Tintin, isn't it? What can we do for you?"

"My friend here," Cora quickly stood straighter, swallowing nervously, "Quite enjoyed you're playing, and was wondering if she could treat you to some music while you take a break."

The violinist, a stout man with a pencil mustache, leaned over to look at Cora. "You play the violin?"

She nodded.

"You don't have one with you though. So I suppose this means you want to borrow mine. You're welcome to it, so long as it's back same as before."

Tintin thanked the man and walked back to Cora.

"See? Nothing to it. Now, I want to hear what you can do."

She knelt beside the case and delicately lifted the violin, resting it on her shoulder and breathing in the familiar scent of the wood.

The bow felt wonderful in her grasp, and immediately her days practising at the instrument came back to her.

She closed her eyes, trying to think of a song. Running through a mental list, she at last picked one and slowly drew the bow across the strings.

Complete pleasure was the only way to describe the feeling of having a violin in her hands again.

The smile had returned to her face and she continued the song, starting out slow and soft.

Tintin was leaning against the wall next to the musicians as they made offhand comments on the decent sound but generally were more focused on their drink.

His gaze was on Cora, still playing the simple melody. He was almost becoming bored of the slurred notes when she suddenly broke into a fast paced, frantic rhythm. Almost everyone else jumped as well, and the men had broken away from their glasses long enough to raise their eyebrows and nod at the small girl with the wild brown hair in boys clothes playing an impressive piece.

Cora played on, lost in her own world as her bow flowed across the strings, bringing her back to the days when her father would bring out his own fiddle and they would perform duets together. Of course, she had sounded absolutely awful then, but with time and encouragement she soon played almost well as her teacher. Most of the songs she had forgotten, but this one was engraved in her mind. She had practised for months on end so she could show off to the neighborhood at the Christmas gathering, to impress one of the boys she fancied at the time.

It was coming to an end now, and she raked the last note out with a wide swing.

Her eyes opened, and she was back at the Café.

Murmurs of approval could be heard here and there, and when she turned to Tintin, he was clapping softly.

"Bravo! Certainly better than anything I could play. I tried to take up violin once. The Captain forbade me from the instrument after a day."

She laughed, practically bubbling with elation. "I'm surprised I could still play that well. I was half expecting to sound like I was 7 years old again with no sense of tone. That's enough goofing around though. We should get to the library."

Tintin whistled, and Snowy bounded up beside them. She set the violin back in its case and the trio went on their way.

Tintin loved the library.

He didn't imagine he would ever grow tired of it. The old building was where so many of his adventures took root and it was filled with all the information he could ever need.

The librarians knew him well, and half the time he didn't even need their help finding a book; he knew the entire place like it was a second home.

He walked past the front desk, where a frail man was sorting books. He squinted his eyes then set his round glasses higher up, smiling a toothless smile.

"Hello Tintin. How are we today?"

"Hello, Mr. Kingsley. I'm quite well, thank you."

"Good, good. Need any assistance?"

"Not today, thanks."

The man coughed and returned to his books. "If you need anything just holler."

"I'll be sure too. Come on Cora."

Not one to visit the library often, Cora simply trusted Tintin not to get her lost among the huge shelves of books. He lead the way to a nook on the first floor. There was a dusty table and chair, and three sides of the space contained more shelves, all filled with family histories and records.

"Here we are. I think there's another chair here you can pull up just over there."

Cora went to grab a seat while Tintin set to finding their information. He ran his finger along the spines, mumbling the first three letters of the names until he came upon COR.

"Corbleau! This should tell us what we need to know. And that's one, two volumes. Great, we'll each look through one."

Tintin slid one book over the table while he cracked open his own, his eyes roving down the pages.

Cora stared at the book, then at Tintin. The more she watched, the more she saw how he barely stayed on one page for more than fifteen seconds before flipping the paper.

"Um, Tintin."

He stopped and looked up.

"Yes?"

"Are you actually reading that?"

"Of course I am. Why?"

"You've barely even lingered on a page so far."

"And?"

She sat down and opened her own book, just to check if it was simply full of picture. But no, it was a complete page of text. She placed her finger on the page. "This is all words. And you've read three pages of it when I haven't even sat down."

"Yep," was all Tintin said.

"Are you actually retaining anything you read?"

"Well, yes. I can remember almost everything."

"Unbelievable. I've never seen somebody read that fast."

He smiled. "It would appear we've both learned something new about each other today."

They locked eyes for a moment, and Cora quickly looked away bashfully, shoving the other book towards him.

"Why don't you read both? I'm afraid I wouldn't be much help when it comes to reading, we'd end up sitting here for hours waiting for me to finish one chapter."

Tintin obliged and grabbed it with one hand, still flipping pages with the other.

Cora busied herself by sifting through the shelves, searching for any more books that would be useful to her speed reading companion.

Her eyes caught a small book tucked away, the spine reading COR. It was out of place since it was between CAE and CAI. She pulled it free and skimmed through the first couple pages, finding it was all photos of Corbleau family members. Alarm flashed in her eyes when a thought crossed her mind and she skipped to table of contents, then back to the page number she wanted.

Gazing back at her was an image of a young blonde woman, with light eyes and a fair complexion. In other words, Cora looked nothing like the woman she was masquerading as.

"What do you have there?"

Cora slammed the book and turned to Tintin, putting it behind her back.

"What? Oh, nothing. Nothing at all. Just busying myself. Are you almost done?"

Tintin frowned slightly, but it passed so fast that Cora couldn't be sure she even saw it.

"Only a couple more minutes and I'll be done. Why don't you go outside and wait with Snowy?"

"That's a good idea. I'll do that." She haphazardly stuffed the book back in its place (which was back in the wrong order) and left the nook.

Tintin waited until he heard the closing doors echo through the hallway, before getting up and circling around the table to the spot Cora had recently been standing at.

Carefully, he pulled the book out and opened it, examining the pictures. He proceeded to do what Cora had done and went to the contents, then to his desired picture. The frown was back as he looked at the pages around where the picture of Elaine was supposed to be. Instead, a light haired woman who certainly did not resemble Cora was in its place.

Somewhat apprehensively, he read the caption.

Elaine Margret Corbleau, 25.

His eyes widened and read it again. The 25 could have been a typo, the picture a mistake, the middle name a confusion. But somehow, he doubted this was the case.

He put the book back in its proper place along with the others, and headed out, his thoughts reeling.

"Good day to you Tintin," Mr. Kingsley called as he passed.

"What? Oh, yes, you too."

He pushed through the doors, and looked around for Snowy.

His dog was faithfully sitting at the steps. When he saw Tintin, he leapt up and scampered up the steps to scratch at his leg happily.

Tintin absently stroked his head, still searching for Cora.

He wasn't surprised when he didn't find her.

He ran his hand through his hair and sat down, Snowy instantly noticed his master's change in mood and laid his head on his knee and licking his hand.

"Well Snowy… this is a fine mess."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The day was still happily contradicting Tintin's mood. He walked with his hands in his pockets down the street on the way back home after ten minutes of searching. He knew she was gone though, hopefully to Marlinspike.

He heaved a sigh, mentally berating himself for being so blind; simply assuming that she was who he thought she was.

Mostly though, he was hurt that once again he had trusted someone only to have them break that trust. Tintin liked to think the best of people upon meeting them. He wanted to believe that maybe not everyone was after him, maybe the overly friendly person on a cruise really was just an overly friendly person, or that the man he'll bump into in the market wasn't really following him. That they weren't some kind of backstabber who was going to kidnap him the second he was alone.

He found it harder and harder every time he misjudged a person to trust people.

Cora didn't strike him as any of those types of people, but the idea that she had gone with the lie was what got him.

Another sigh, and he drew his hand over his face. "I really need to talk to her, get this all sorted out. That is, if she isn't completely disappeared."

He was walking up the drive when Nestor came round the side, leading the horse the direction Tintin had been walking from.

"Nestor! Have you seen Cora?"

"Sorry sir, I've been getting the horse from the stables. Maybe Master Haddock has seen him."

"Thank you Nestor."

He threw the door open then slammed it shut behind him, effectively getting the Captain's attention.

"Tintin? Is that you?"

Tintin found him in the Living room, tossing back a whiskey.

"Captain, has Cora been here?"

"Aye, she was just here blabbering some kind of nonsensical talk about how she had forgotten something and come back to get it. I thought she had gone to be with you."

"She hadn't."

"I can see that. Where'd she go off to then?"

Tintin wandered the room with his hands clasped behind his back. "Not the faintest clue. Look, Captain, you know how I introduced her as Miss Elaine Corbleau?"

"Lad, how old do you think I am? Of course I remember, it was only last night!"

"Well, turns out that's not who she really is." Tintin retold the events in the library, and the Captain was now on his feet. "Blistering Barnacles! Who is she then?"

"Bit of a mystery. And I have no way to find her again. It could be days, or weeks, and by then… Oh no."

"What? What is it?"

Tintin checked both his pockets, just in case, but they were both empty.

"Captain, when she came back, did she go up to the rooms?"

"Yes, like I said, she was going on about how she forgot something."

"And I have a pretty good idea what she forgot."

Tintin ran up to the halls where his room was and entered, scanning his dresser for the medallion.

It was gone.

"Cora… you just made things so much more difficult."

The Captain came huffing in moments later. "What's missing?"

Tintin balled his fists. "The medallion. She took the medallion, and I still don't know where to look for her."

"Why don't we call Thompson and Thomson? I'm sure with their help we'd catch her."

"No! No, we can't do that."

The Captain crossed his arms. "And why not? Isn't thievery what the Police are for?"

"Yes, but I don't want police involved," Tintin said carefully, hoping the Captain wouldn't press the matter.

It took the Captain a moment before he caught on to what Tintin was saying. "You don't want her arrested, do you?"

Tintin sat on the bed with a plop and nodded. "Right. I need to talk to her, and I'm pretty sure it won't be very friendly if I'm holding the conversation between bars."

A dejected silence hung in the room, both of them deep in thought. Spontaneously, the Captain stabbed a finger in the air. "I know! I saw soot on her hands when you two came in last night."

Tintin looked up in confusion. "Sorry? I don't think I'm following."

The Captain shook his head and continued. "Usually the lot that live down by the docks have soot because there's a factory down there. It's the only one this side of town, which was near where you met her, isn't it?"

"Excellent observation Captain! That's a start. But how can we narrow it down?" He paced the room again. "I know, the clothes she left, they're probably still hanging!" _And she's probably still wearing my clothes. So that's two things of mine stolen in what? Two days? She's good at this whole thief thing._

Outside, the clothes were close to dry in the warm sun, and Tintin pulled them down to search any pockets that would hold evidence as to where she could be.

He was successful, and pulled out a small slip of paper with some messy handwriting that looked something like: _See Charlie tomorrow about payment._

"Charlie? Who's Charlie, and what's this about a payment? Ah, never mind that. We'll have to go on this. Captain, I'm going down to the docks to ask around. You should wait here in case she comes back."

"Alright, good luck Tintin."

A new energy drove the young reporter and he walked briskly, getting to the docks in record time.

The hordes of people and sheer size of the area he had to cover definitely put a damper on his spirit, but he was determined, and when Tintin was determined, few things could get in his way. He got to work, and walked up to the first merchant stand he came across, a fruit stand.

"Excuse me sir, sorry to bother you, but have you seen a girl here, about fifteen years old, small, shorter with brown hair, wearing boy's clothes?"

He tried to ignore the strange look the man gave him and stared expectantly.

"Can't say I have. There's a lot of people passing by, and I don't much care to observe each one individually. Now beat it kid, I've other customers."

"Alright, thanks anyways." Tintin looked at the fruit and picked one up, a shining red apple. He fished for a coin and pulled it, paying for it before returning to the multitudes.

He stood and watched, eyes flitting from one person to the next, until they became sore from keeping up with so many moving forms. He shook his head and took a bite out of the apple.

_It's going to be a long day._

* * *

><p>He was down to the core when Snowy started to growl, his shackles raising. Tintin knelt down to calm him when a familiar voice reached his ears, and it certainly wasn't a voice he wanted to hear.<p>

To be sure it was who he thought it was, he skirted the side of a building, stealthily approaching the stand that he had just been at.

The crowd momentarily cleared and Tintin ducked behind some crates when he saw none other than Sakharine harassing the apple seller, waving his cane and asking about something. Tintin leaned forward to listen better.

"A short girl with brown hair, have you seen her?"

"Can't say I have." The apple seller looked even more impatient than when Tintin had talked to him. "And if one more person comes here asking that confounded question-"

Sakharine stomped his cane, stopping the man midsentence. "Who else asked?"

The man sniffed, "Ach, some young chap with a funny quiff."

Sakharine whipped around and scoured the streets, almost spotting Tintin, who dove to the ground, observing through the slats of the crates.

Sakharine barked orders at his two men and they split up much to his dismay.

"This is a problem. We'll have to be extra careful now. Come Snowy, we have to find Cora before Sakharine finds her, or me."

* * *

><p>The sun was setting, and Tintin hadn't seen anything of his quarry. He sighed, not liking the idea of giving up, but he didn't have much choice since he knew he'd have no chance finding her in the dark.<p>

"I'll just have to come back tomorrow. Maybe I'll have better luck then."

**Author's Note: Kinda short, and I don't really like this ending, so I might rewrite it later. For now though, I'm on a bit of a writing high. The next chapter might even be up tonight :) Thanks for all the reviews!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Cora wasn't stupid.

She knew that once she left that library, Tintin would look at the book and see the real Elaine Corbleau, and she would be taken to the police station.

Snowy ran up to her with a wagging tail, and she absently pat his head.

"Suppose this'll be goodbye. I'll miss you, pup."

Snowy whined when she stopped petting him and got up.

She glanced back at the building Tintin was in once more, before darting away. She roughly shoved past people, earning a few rude remarks and angry citizens. She didn't care though. She just wanted to get out of there.

She ran aimlessly for about a minute before stopping at a cross section. One street would lead her back to Marlinspike, the other to the docks.

She made her decision but wasn't keen on running all the way to Marlinspike. She stuffed her hands in her pockets on the off chance that Tintin had left some money in his clothes. There was nothing but lint, as she expected.

_Guess I'll just borrow some money when I get to Marlinspike._

She hailed a cab and got in, telling the driver her destination.

"Money?"

"Can I pay you when we get there?"

The cab driver tapped his fingers on the steering wheel.

"I can take your word that you'll pay when we're there?"

"Definitely," she said, blinking her eyes and looking up through her lashes in what she hoped appeared innocent.

The driver gave in, and they were off, Cora feeling both happy and guilty. Happy that she'd convinced him of a ride, and guilty that she wouldn't be paying with her own money.

They arrived at Marlinspike and she exited the cab with the promise that she'd be back within five minutes.

Her heart raced as she opened the front door. She desperately wanted it to be empty, so that she could avoid an awkward encounter with the Captain.

Apparently fate had something else in mind, because when she turned the corner of the entryway, she ran right into the Captain, who almost spilt his whiskey much to his horror.

"Thundering Typhoons, I- Oh, Cora! What are you doing here?"

"I-I ah, was just… I forgot something, and Tintin's at the library, and I was just getting it, for Tintin, who's at the library… and I was going to go right back and uh, give it to him, so, sorry for getting in your way!"

She brushed past him and ran up the stairs, not even sure exactly what she had said, but she was sure that neither she nor the Captain understood a word of it.

She burst into Tintin's room and scanned for the small gold medallion. She spotted sitting on his dresser and swiped it, heading back down to the door.

She was just opening it when she remembered the cab driver and made a sharp, flailing turn on the spot.

She was in Tintin's room again and had to look a little longer to find some money.

Eventually she came upon a drawer of loose change and she gathered it up, heading out again.

The cab driver was resting his head on his hand and flicking his lighter on and off when she leapt into the door and slid to her seat, handing him the unknown amount of money.

"Excuse me, but is there enough there to cover another trip?"

He dropped the coins from one hand to other, breathing out the numbers as he counted.

"Depends on where you're going."

"To the docks?"

"It'll cover. I'll just count your change."

She waited while he counted the money out again then took it from his hands.

"Let's hurry, I need to get going," she said.

The man shrugged and they were speeding off again. Cora let her head flop against the back of the seat and exhaled.

The driver must have been speeding, because they were there in no time flat. She thanked him and got out, heading to the one place she could relax and think things out.

* * *

><p>She knocked three times then waited, balancing anxiously on her toes.<p>

The door opened a crack and half a man's face was just visible.

"Charlie, its Cora."

The door swung open wide and a young man stood smiling. He was about twenty eight, with messy blonde hair and brilliant green eyes, now glossy and red from too many late nights and drinks.

"Cora! What a surprise! Is this about this month's pay?"

"No, it's more of a social visit if you're available."

He chuckled. "I'm always available. It's not like I have a life to busy myself with. But come in, no point in you standing out there."

She gladly accepted the invitation and removed her coat. The entire flat was not very big. It had enough space for a bed which was crushed in one corner and covered in laundry and food, a kitchen containing a stove and sink, also covered in dishes and more food, and a small living area with a T.V. and a couch. Naturally, it was covered in clothes and food as well.

Charlie was an old friend of theirs. More like a second brother to Cora. He was a nice guy, who'd made some wrong choices in life, and was now unemployed and paying the bills by gambling and the odd job on ships and at factories. Whenever he could though, he would help out Cora and Clarence by giving them some of his pay. He was also the place they went for showers and other such necessities. They even had a key to the house.

Seeing there were no restrictions in clothing placement, she tossed her coat over the couch and draped herself on the cushions.

Charlie was doing his best to make the place somewhat presentable, but Cora saw he was having a hard time and spared him.

"It's ok Charlie; you don't need to clean for me."

He waved his hand in acknowledgement. "Yeah, but I really need to clean up some, and now I have motivation so don't stop me now or it'll stay like this for another month.

Cora knew that the flat would never be cleaned, but she didn't say it out loud. Charlie just had a different concept of neatness, and she didn't want to get on his case about it like she usually did.

"So," he started, sitting himself in a seat that Cora didn't even know was there until he removed a layer of blankets and garbage and, of course, food, "What brings you to this 'social visit'?"

She flipped onto her belly and groaned into a pillow.

"Mm am ifio."

"I didn't catch any of that."

She lifted her face from the pillow and repeated herself.

"I'm an idiot."

"Nah, you're not an idiot. You do idiotic things, but that doesn't make you an idiot."

She raised her eyebrows. "Yes, thank you for that. You really know how to bring a person out of the depths of depression."

"There's the smart aleck I know. And what can I say, I'm just that charming."

"Yes, and this house is proof of how charming you are."

He stuck his tongue out and reclined with his hands behind his neck.

"Real mature."

"I know. Now, please continue your story."

She sat herself straight and brought her legs up so she was cross legged, grabbing the pillow and hugging it close.

"I screwed up. Got in some trouble that may or may not have almost got me and someone else killed."

"I'm listening."

"Well, two days ago Clarence wanted me to wait by the church for someone because he thought they might have something of value. I snatched it, but was chased down by these thugs. This boy- Tintin's the name- he was there and stopped them before they could catch me. Long story short, he ended up with the medallion, apparently has a lot of enemies, and we both managed to get ourselves kidnapped because I told him my name was Elaine Corbleau, the owner of the medallion."

Charlie slurped loudly from a coke, "Let me guess; he found out who you really were."

"Yeah. Recently, too."

He bent over and looked her in the eye.

"And I'm kind of shooting in the dark here, but I'm going to assume Clarence doesn't know about any of this?"

She scratched her neck. "Not… really. No."

Charlie whistled. "He's not going to like that."

"Hence why I'm here. Do you think I could spend the night?"

"You know you're always welcome here. I'll find some blankets for the couch."

"Good luck with that."

"I'd quit with the insults, unless you want to sleep on a pile of laundry."

She laughed. "What else is there to sleep on?"

He rolled his eyes and rummaged through piles of junk.

While he did that, Cora got up and began cleaning up the dishes.

"Charlie, when was the last time you went shopping?"

There was a pause in the rustling, and he hummed in thought. "Not sure. I figure I'm still alive and not starving yet, so I should be good."

"Tomorrow we're getting some decent food into this house."

Charlie snorted, "Are you offering to steal groceries for me now too?"

"I have money."

"That you stole?"

"Borrowed."

"Ha. I knew it."

"Shut up, Charlie."

They spent the rest of the day cleaning the random garbage and general mess. At least, Cora did. Charlie was content with eating snacks and telling her the spots she missed.

By evening she had most all of the kitchen done and most of the living room, and was proud of the progress she'd made.

It was dark out now, and Cora yawned widely.

"That's enough work for today. Goodnight, Charlie."

His response was a snore.

She pulled the blankets over the couch and rearranged the pillow so she was curled up on her side.

The events of the day ran through her head in circles, and for the first hour she tossed and turned. Finally, she couldn't evade sleep any longer and she relaxed into a comfortable position, Tintin's face being the last thing to pass through her mind.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Two chapters in one night! I'm on a roll :D<strong>

**I enjoyed writing Charlie, his lack of hygiene amuses me. And I'm starting to realize that Tintin and Cora have a twisted idea on the meaning of word borrowed. **

**I think I'm going to shoot for three chapters before 2 am ;)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Cora awoke early the next morning and stretched her body from its cramped position. She had a terrible kink in her neck and had to crack her back, and she couldn't help but miss her bed at Marlinspike. That had been the best sleep she'd had in a long time.

She couldn't complain though. At least she had a place to sleep. She didn't know what she would've done if Charlie hadn't been home. Clarence certainly wouldn't be impressed by her disappearance for three days now, even though it wasn't the first time it'd happened.

Charlie's house had no windows and thus gave no indication of the time. Cora had to flick nearby lamp on and squint at the clock on the wall.

"_What?_ There is no way it can be two in the morning."

She peeked over the couch and saw another clock by Charlie's bed. She rubbed her eyes and read the time again, since this seemed to be the working clock.

"Oh, it's eight. Good," she said in relief.

Charlie was still snoring in the corner, and Cora picked up her pillow and flung it aimlessly at the source of the sound.

There was a grunt and some grouchy mumbles signifying that she'd hit her target.

"Up and at 'em, Charlie. We need to go get you some real food. And fix your clock."

Cora stood and tried to smooth out the wrinkles in her clothes as best she could.

After some interesting acrobatics to avoid stepping on random knick knacks on the ground, Cora made it to the bathroom. She made use of the shower, then fixed her hair, tucking it under her hat after her multiple failed attempts to keep it in place.

When she left the bathroom, Charlie was dancing on one foot trying to get his boot on, knocking over the lamp and plunging the room into darkness.

Cora massaged her temple.

"Honestly Charlie, I don't know how you've survived on your own for so long."

* * *

><p>Tintin barely slept the entire night, so when the sunrise painted the sky with soft pastel colours, he wanted nothing more than to curl up even deeper in his covers.<p>

He had a job to do though, and reluctantly he pulled himself out of bed and got dressed. He ran his hand over his hair to tuck the quiff down, only to have it spring back into its trademark position.

He was just finishing his breakfast when a sleepy Haddock dragged his feet into the kitchen.

"Tintin, are you really going out at this time of day? The birds haven't even woken up yet."

Tintin dumped his dishes in the sink and pulled on his trench coat. "Indeed I am, Captain. Early bird gets the worm, isn't that the saying?"

"Aye, but if the worm is still sleeping then it won't do much good," he heard the Captain grumble.

Tintin got his shoes on and Snowy bounced between his feet, excited at the prospect of an early walk.

"I'll see you later Captain."

The Captain only grunted. He was in the mood between not having whiskey and having to be awake. That was never a good mood, and Tintin simply ignored him, knowing that it would blow over in a little bit. By then he'd be long gone anyways.

Tintin was glad that he'd left at the time he did. There weren't nearly as many people out right now and it gave him time to get a better bearing of the area, not to mention he didn't have to worry as much about Sakharine's men being out at this hour.

As Tintin walked the streets though, he was realizing that he was missing Cora's company. It had been nice, walking and talking with the shy girl, slightly awkward girl.

Now it was rather lonely, just talking to himself and his dog. Not that Snowy was bad company, but he unfortunately lacked the means to respond.

He saw a corner store, one of the few that were open, and figured he would start his query there. The owner might know any regulars and that would bring him that much closer to finding Cora.

Charlie stumbled behind Cora, and she had begun to wonder if he'd gone to a bar at some point last night while she was sleeping.

"Charlie, can you please try to have a little dignity?"

He scoffed and retorted, "Dignity? What good is dignity to me now? Look at me, Cora. I'm a wreck. A pathetic, hopeless wreck with no bright and promising future to look forward to. I'm old and spent; my days are numbered now."

"You're twenty-eight years old."

"Exactly! And in two years I'll be thirty. Which leaves thirty more years until I'm sixty. And if I haven't done anything in my life during this half of thirty, then I can only be lead to believe that the other thirty years will be the same. Dull and empty and filled with cheap snack food."

Great. He was on one of his philosophical and depressing rants. She figured that's where she got her habit of rambling from, although she didn't take it to quite the same extent, thankfully.

"I can see it now: Man Dies Alone In House," he waved his hands in the air and spread them as if he was presenting a headline, "Sixty years old and unaccomplished. Missed only by the rats living his home."

She seriously hoped he was joking about the rats.

"And then my house will be demolished, and you guys will move on and become millionaires and forget all about poor old Charlie, whose grave will be grown over by vines, because even in death I'll not have the inclination to clean." He dramatically covered his face with hands and shook his head side to side in despair.

Hearing quite enough, she stopped him before he could go on. "Aaand this is why you're still single and unemployed."

She patted his shoulder and walked ahead, leaving him to wallow in self-pity.

The corner store was just up ahead and she quickened her pace in excitement. She didn't often shop, and now that she had change in her pocket, she could afford to treat herself.

_Technically, it's Tintin treating you, _a little voice pointed out. She did her best to push it to the back of her mind, but the guilt remained. It was Tintin's money, and here she was spending it like she had the right to. Which she didn't. She couldn't even make the false promise that she would pay it back later.

The more she thought about it, the more she felt like taking after Charlie and beginning a dismal monologue of her own.

"Doesn't matter much now," she muttered, "It's not like I'll be seeing him again. May as well put this money to good use."

Charlie was by her side a second later, completely normal as if his break down had never happened.

"I haven't gone for groceries in forever. You'll have to do the buying. Here, I've got some extra money. Go crazy."

He took her hand and placed a couple francs in her own thin fingers, then wandered off to the snack food section.

Cora started to browse, picking up whatever she needed and working her way to the back of the store.

The bell atop the door announced another customer, and Cora grabbed a couple last things before deciding that it was enough.

She found Charlie holding an armful of snacks, and she scowled at him like a scolding mother.

"You can have one."

He opened his mouth argue, but yielded and put all but one back.

Cora nodded and angled herself so she could hold the numerous objects in her arms, limiting her visibility. She occasionally glimpsed over the bags for guidance and was just making her way to the counter when she stopped.

She lowered the bags half an inch, and sure enough there he was, talking to the shopkeeper.

Slowly backing away, she was almost behind a shelf when Charlie materialized behind her.

"Do you want help with those Cora?"

She spun and gave him a wide eyed glare, but it was too late.

Tintin had stopped mid-sentence and turned around.

"Cora?"

She looked over her shoulder and her brown eyes briefly met with his blue ones for one silent moment. Then pandemonium and panic ensued, with Cora shoving the groceries into a surprised Charlie's hands and dashing for the door without hesitation, leaving a shocked Tintin and confused Charlie.

* * *

><p>Tintin burst onto the street and started off in hot pursuit.<p>

Snowy lifted his head from chewing on a bone, considering going after his master. But when faced with the choice between chasing his master around the city and gnawing on his bone, he would have to choose the latter.

He was barely keeping up to her as she sprinted at full tilt, her small frame aiding her in gliding easily around any obstacles in her path.

More people were about, and Tintin was struggling to avoid a head on collision while trying to keep track of the runaway girl.

She turned sharply down an alley and he skidded to a stop, almost tripping over his own feet as he scrambled after her. His fumble cost him valuable speed, and he had lost sight of her. Frantically he stood on his toes, but was saved by the indignant cries up ahead. A couple was regaining their balance, no doubt offset by Cora. That was when he saw her again, running around another corner.

He booked it down the street and veered in the same direction as she had. Up ahead, Cora was running down by the docks, dancing between barrels and almost knocking some fishermen into the water.

Tintin ran across the boards, apologizing to the men as he pushed them aside, when it dawned on him that she was running out of dock, and he slowed to a jog, merely watching as she slid to a halt at the edge of the boardwalk. She turned to go back, but Tintin was blocking her path. He approached slowly, and an almost feral alarm glinted in her eyes. Tintin noticed her contemplative expression at the water and he stopped fully, panting.

"Please, don't do it. I really don't have the energy to save you from drowning."

Cora was fully aware that she was caught, and slapped her hands against her sides in mild frustration before flashing Tintin a weak smile.

"Hey," she said with a cheeky wave.

"Cora, what are you doing?"

She crossed her arms, "Fishing. Obviously."

He cocked an eyebrow.

"I really don't think this is a good time to be satire."

"I agree completely. Sorry."

He sighed and walked towards her. She tensed up visibly but he made no move to grab her. Instead, he sat down on the edge of the dock, patting the space next to him as an invitation for her to sit down.

She paused, and then sat, heart thudding from both her recent exertion and her current situation.

"You stole my medallion."

"It's actually not yours…"

"It's not yours, either."

Cora dropped her gaze to the water below, focusing on making ripples with her shoe.

"You want to explain?"

"Not really," Cora said, then winced at the unimpressed look Tintin was giving her. "Ok, ok. No more sarcasm. And I guess I may as well tell you, since you've got me between a rock and a hard place."

She bit her lip and began her story, all the way from her stealing the medallion to the corner store. The entire time, Tintin listened, giving her his undivided attention which was making her squirm a little in self-consciousness.

She finished her story, and for the longest time, Tintin said nothing.

She was tempted to poke him to see if he was still listening, but didn't need to.

"So that's three things."

"Pardon?"

"You've stolen three things in three days. The medallion, the clothes, and my money. I'll forgive you for the clothes though."

"Um, thanks. And I'm sorry about the money."

"Honestly, I could care less about the money. What about the medallion? Do you plan on giving it back?"

She furrowed her brow, and Tintin worried that she might try to bolt again. He relaxed when she pulled it from her pocket and held it in her lap.

"You're… not going to turn me in?"

"If you give it back, I won't have to," he said sincerely.

Reluctantly, she gave the pendant to Tintin.

More silence, save for the sound of the water sloshing against the wooden pillars. Then:

"Your real name is Cora?"

That caught her off guard. "Of course it is! Why would I give you another fake name in place of a fake name?"

"Just checking."

They both stared out to the ocean for a minute before Tintin continued.

"What's your full name?"

She allowed herself a smirk, "What's _your _full name?"

"I asked you first."

"I won't tell you if you won't tell me."

"Deal. Now tell me."

"Fine. It's Aubrey. Cora Aubrey."

He pressed on, "Is there a middle name in there?"

"Not one that you need to know."

It was his turn to smirk, "We agreed on full names."

"… Gertrude."

"Gertrude?"

"That's what I said."

She blushed when she heard him choke back a snicker.

"Don't laugh!"

"I'm not laughing!"

She pouted, and tried to change the topic, "Alright, I've told you my name, now what's yours?"

He grinned playfully and answered, "Tintin."

She slapped his arm lightly. "We agreed on full names!"

"I know. My full name is Tintin."

"So is your first name just Tin?"

"No, it's Tintin."

"That's not fair."

"Yes it is. It's my full name."

She threw her hands up in surrender. "You are impossible."

"Right. _I'm _the impossible one."

She turned her body to look at him incredulously. "I think my sarcasm is starting to wear off on you."

"Or maybe it's always been there and you just brought it out."

"Either way, I don't appreciate it. Only I can be sarcastic."

"Well, now you know how it feels to be on the receiving end."

She only puffed in mock anger and blew a stray hair out of her face.

Tintin laughed out loud this time and got his feet, offering his hand to her, feeling infinitely better that they had been able to talk things out so easily.

She took it and together they walked down the docks and back to the street, much happier than when they'd arrived.

"Well, well. It would appear our job has just become much simpler."

But of course, Tintin should have known it wouldn't have been so easy.

His blood ran cold when Allan sauntered from behind some stacked boxes, effectively cutting off their escape.

It reminded Cora of an old western showdown; the dead quiet, the staring contest between the opposing sides, the sun glaring down on them. All it needed was a tumble weed.

Tintin stepped forward protectively, and it was times like these Cora wished desperately that she knew something about fighting. She supposed she'd just have to go for the next best thing; resourcefulness. And her resources were fish, fish and more fish.

She was not going to attack Allan with a fish.

Gorilla man and Tom jumped from the small ship and approached from behind. On both sides was the ocean. And in front of them was a man who really needed to find a better line of work other than kidnapping adolescents.

"There's no way out of this," Cora breathed.

Tintin held her arm and whispered in her ear, "We're just going to make a break for it."

They dove forward, something Allan did not see coming, and were confident they were home free until a hand shot out and clutched Tintin's coat collar, yanking him back.

Allan was quick to take advantage of the opening and landed a solid punch. Tintin's head snapped to the side and he stumbled back in a daze.

It only took that one punch for Cora to change her mind.

She was going to attack Allan with a fish.

How she would've loved to have a picture of his face when she swung that Haddock (ironically appropriate, she thought).

Allan's own face snapped to the side with a satisfactory thwack, and Tintin wriggled out of his coat and they were off again.

"Go! Go!" he cried, then stalled, "No, wait, wait!"

"_Would you make up your mind?" _She was wondering what had gotten into Tintin that he would want to stop.

"The medallion; I put it in my coat."

It was too late. Allan was holding the item of interest, and was now shooting Cora and Tintin a downright murderous look. Cora had a feeling it was more directed at her, though, and suddenly the medallion didn't seem as important as life.

She exchanged a frightened glance with Tintin, and asked almost politely, "Can we run now?"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Yeesh, it was really hard writing this chapter. Lots of action, and I'm not sure how many times I had to revise it before it felt good enough. And I'm sorry to announce that updates will likely not be as regular with school in the mix. I'm actually supposed to be doing homework right now, but I didn't want to put it off any longer.<strong>

**Oh, and the fish part – I totally drew Cora holding a fish during school, and the guy who sits in front of me couldn't understand it, and he never will **

**RESPONSES! I almost forgot!**

**Comedywizard: Hey! Kinda sad that you've been with this story since pretty much the beginning and I'm only responding now xD Well better late than never. Thought I'd let you know that your reviews make me laugh a lot! Tt's too bad I missed responding to half of them. Anyways, thanks for reading!**

**Ace Reader: I wonder what'll happen when he finds out too . **

**Cottoncandy: Lol thank you, I try. And I have Tumblr! I just don't really know how to use it, so I'll have to get back to you on that xD **

**Dollyx3yarie: Thank you! And that's actually how I had originally planned for him to find out, but my fingers decided to type otherwise…**

**Daniella: Oh gosh, I'm not gonna lie. I had a happy spaz attack when I read your critique. It's really great getting so much feedback, especially since it's my first story. And your scenario with the lady driving the vehicle full of men was great! I might have to make that some sort of side story once I'm finished. And I'm really happy people like Cora. At first I wasn't sure how she would be received, seeing as almost all the female characters on Fanfiction tend to fall into the confident, impressive adventurer type, which I didn't want. I feel like that's just making a female version of Tintin, and let's face it; there's only one Tintin *Cough*And he's mine*Cough*. Just joking Sort of… **

**Anyways, thanks for the review/critique!**


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